Never in my life have I gone to see a horror movie and for perspective purposes, the movie “Signs” kept me restlessly awake for over a month.

So take that into consideration when I tell you that the idea of the paranormal scares the be-Jesus out of me.

The funny thing about the paranormal is that it doesn’t care if you are scared, it will exist without you. That was case when I was growing up and is still the case today.

My first memorable experience with the paranormal was when I lived in Alden, NY. I was just 4 years old at the time and woke up to the sounds of a party going on downstairs in my basement. By party, I mean people laughing, talking loudly and music playing. It was loud enough to wake me out of a sound sleep. As I crept downstairs to sneak a peek at this party, I noticed that the lights were not on. No one was down there.

The next memorable experience is what researchers in the paranormal field spend their whole careers trying to capture, a full body apparition.

I was just 6 years old and in a new home in the heart of Cheektowaga, NY when my world changed forever. As I started to prepare my outfit for school the next morning there was a man standing near my closet looking very quizzically at me. I did not know this man and he was clear as day!

Needless to say I ran as fast as my little legs could to take me straight to my mother where I pleaded incessantly with her to take me to a doctor, because my first instinct was something was wrong with me.

It wasn’t until then that my mother and brother began to share their personal experiences within our house and I slowly began to realize that either we were all crazy or I lived in what essentially was a haunted house.

That was the moment where my fear became a mission. My logical brain was determined to find an explanation for what was going on. I clearly was wise beyond my years, and anyone who knows me will support that point.

For the light of brevity, I will not explain every tiny experience I’ve had since then. I will however offer you a warning. Tapping into the spirit world is not something you want to do unless you are fully ready for its effects.

My house has been cleansed numerous times to combat what many consider to be a demonic entity.

For those of you who don’t know the difference, it is very simple. A demonic entity will try to hurt you, control you, and their ultimate goal is to make you turn from everyone around you to become a curator of their goals.

The growls, scratches on my walls and ‘black’ forms that were in my house on almost a daily basis are the root of my worst fear.

They are gone now, but I still have experiences every now and then. Most of the time I believe that the spirits in my house are well-intended and protective of me, but there are moments where I know there is something more sinister there.

Shows such as Ghost Adventures helped me through these times where my logical brain could not understand what was happening, and still do when my fears get the best of me.

It helps to know that I am not alone in these experiences and that I have a strong support group of people out there to turn to when I’m feeling overwhelmed.

If you have an experience of your own that you would like to share with me, send it to neighborhoods@wgrz.com today!